Brendan Murphy steals vaccine presser limelight with COVID socks

A former PM and the current Health Minister got their jabs, but it was the man who led Australia’s 2020 COVID response who pulled his socks up and stole the show.

A bipartisan show of confidence in the AstraZeneca vaccine involving the Health Minister and a former Labor PM was almost overshadowed by Australia’s top doc pledging to ‘sock it’ to COVID-19.

Department of Health Secretary Prof Brendan Murphy was styling his own special coronavirus-themed socks in a boots and all vaccination presser in which he joined

Health Minister Greg Hunt and former prime minister Julia Gillard in rolling up their sleeves for the jab.

A jovial Murphy, who became a household name for his work in Australia’s 2020 COVID response, was smiling from behind his mask as her received the vaccine with a hearty thumbs-up.

Professor Brendan Murphy shows off his COVID-themed socks as he receives the AstraZeneca vaccine at the Carrum Downs Respiratory Clinic. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt receives his AstraZeneca vaccine. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

The unlikely grouping of community leaders was designed to show faith in the efficacy of the vaccine, which will be the one being offered to the majority of Australians, and has been proven to prevent 100 per cent of serious illness and death due to COVID-19.

Ms Gillard was invited to join in the program following concerning data showing Australian women are more likely to be vaccine hesitant than men.

The former prime minister said she was “delighted” to be asked, and urged women to seek information from “credentialed” sources like the Australian Government and GPs, and not social media.

“I think one of the things that could be happening here is many women who are trying to keep themselves fit and well probably follow a lot of people online through social media, they might look for diet and exercise advice and all of that is fine, but those people on social media are not the ones to look to when you are trying to work out what to do about the vaccine,” she said.

Former Labor Prime Minister Julia Gillard receives her jab in the bipartisan display of confidence in the AstraZeneca vaccine. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

“You do need to … make sure that what you are getting is from scientists, not social media influencers, and if you do get that advice from scientists, then the decision will become crystal-clear.”

Ms Gillard said the vaccine was “safe, effective” and free”.

“It will prevent you from getting seriously ill, so it is in your interests to take it as soon as you have the opportunity to do so in accordance with the Australian government rollout,” she said.

Prof Brendan Murphy said there was “no evidence” either COVID-19 vaccine available in Australia was “harmful in pregnancy”.

Prof Murphy’s socks stole the show at the Carrum Downs Respiratory Clinic. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

“So if someone has a vaccine and turns out to be pregnant, we don’t need to worry,” he said.

“But we also don’t know for sure, we don’t have enough data to say that they are absolutely safe in pregnancy.

“There is no reason why they wouldn’t be safe technically but we are recommending that people who are pregnant should discuss vaccination with their doctor before they consider it.”

Mr Hunt said there have now been at least 270 residential aged care facilities vaccinated, with more than 23,000 elderly residents receiving their first jab of the Pfizer candidate.

Across the country more than 81,000 Australians in the Phase 1a rollout, which includes priority frontline workers such as hotel quarantine staff, have also received their first dose.

“This week, with the commencement of the AstraZeneca vaccine, those numbers will grow significantly,” Mr Hunt said.

“In just over two weeks time … those numbers will grow even more.

Former Prime Minister and Health Minister Mr Hunt were all smiles addressing the media afterwards. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

“We will soon be delivering well over 500,000 vaccinations a week, while making sure we have the contingency for second (dose) vaccinations.”

Mr Hunt said there was also new data from the UK vaccine rollout published in the Lancet medical journal showing the AstraZeneca jab produced “100 per cent protection” against serious illness, hospitalisation and death from COVID-19 in clinical trials.

“The results from the UK have been spectacular and heartening and wonderful for the world,” Mr Hunt said.

Australia has ordered about 53.8 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine, of which the majority have been produced locally by CSL in Melbourne, which means disruptions to supply chains are unlikely.

The vaccine is also able to be transported at normal fridge temperatures, whereas the Pfizer jab must be maintained at -70C, and is therefore harder to distribute into rural and remote areas.

NSW ALMOST AT MAJOR COVID-FREE MILESTONE

NSW has recorded no new locally acquired cases of COVID-19, marking its 49th consecutive day without a locally acquired case.

NSW Health confirmed that just two new cases were acquired from overseas, bringing the total number of cases in NSW since the beginning of the pandemic to 5020.

The state’s number of tests reported up til 8pm last night dropped to 9727, compared to the previous day’s total of 11,594.

NSW Health is treating 54 COVID-19 cases, one of whom is in intensive care but does not require a ventilator. Most cases (93 per cent) are being treated in non-acute, out-of-hospital care, including returned travellers in the Special Health Accommodation.